U.S. patent number 9,526,666 [Application Number 14/613,878] was granted by the patent office on 2016-12-27 for connection tool for use with patient carrying systems.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Prism Medical Ltd.. The grantee listed for this patent is Prism Medical Ltd.. Invention is credited to Mark P. Chepurny, Mikel Shani.
United States Patent |
9,526,666 |
Chepurny , et al. |
December 27, 2016 |
Connection tool for use with patient carrying systems
Abstract
Provided herein is a connection tool for connecting to an object
a carabiner that has an internal space and a carabiner opening for
admitting the object to the internal space. The connection tool
includes a support structure and a handle connected to the support
structure. The support structure defines a support opening sized
and shaped to permit the carabiner to be received and withdrawn
from the support structure. The support structure is sized and
shaped to hold the carabiner while leaving the carabiner opening
unobstructed such that the object can be admitted to and removed
from the internal space through the carabiner opening such that the
carabiner can be connected to and disconnected from an object not
reachable by hand using the tool.
Inventors: |
Chepurny; Mark P. (Bradford,
CA), Shani; Mikel (Mississauga, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Prism Medical Ltd. |
Vaughan, Ontario |
N/A |
CA |
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Assignee: |
Prism Medical Ltd.
(Mississauga, Ontario, CA)
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Family
ID: |
36564729 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/613,878 |
Filed: |
February 4, 2015 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20150216752 A1 |
Aug 6, 2015 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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11791916 |
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8985658 |
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PCT/CA2005/001842 |
Dec 2, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16B
45/021 (20210501); A61G 7/1049 (20130101); F16B
45/02 (20130101); A61G 7/1051 (20130101); Y10T
24/45319 (20150115); A61G 7/1069 (20130101); A61G
2203/78 (20130101); A61G 2200/34 (20130101); A61G
7/1015 (20130101); Y10T 24/45325 (20150115); A61G
7/1061 (20130101); A61G 7/1065 (20130101); Y10T
29/53 (20150115); A61G 7/1042 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F16B
45/02 (20060101); A61G 7/10 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;294/209,210,211,82.24,82.25,82.19
;24/599.1,599.2,599.5,599.6,600.2,600.7
;5/81.1R,83.1,81.1,85.1R,85.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0561751 |
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Sep 1993 |
|
EP |
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2007289259 |
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Nov 2007 |
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JP |
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Primary Examiner: Chin; Paul T
Attorney, Agent or Firm: The Webb Law Firm
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This present application is a divisional of co-pending U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/791,916 filed on May 30, 2007, which is a
371 National Phase Application of PCT/CA2005/001842, filed Dec. 2,
2005.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A connection tool for connecting to an object a carabiner that
has an internal space and a carabiner opening for admitting the
object to the internal space, wherein the carabiner has, depending
therefrom, a patient harness connector for connecting the carabiner
to a patient harness, the tool comprising: a support structure
having a support opening sized and shaped to permit the carabiner
to be received and supported by the support structure and withdrawn
from the support structure, the support structure being sized and
shaped to hold the carabiner while leaving the carabiner opening
unobstructed such that the object can be admitted to and removed
from the internal space through the carabiner opening; a handle
connected to the support structure, whereby the carabiner can be
connected to and disconnected from an object not reachable by hand
using the tool, the support structure including a patient harness
connector opening sized, shaped, and positioned to receive the
patient harness connector and to facilitate use of the patient
harness connector as a guide wherein the support structure is moved
along the patient harness connector toward the carabiner until the
carabiner is supported by the support structure, whereby the
carabiner can be disconnected from the object not reachable by
hand.
2. A connection tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle is
length-adjustable.
3. A connection tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the
length-adjustable handle is telescopically extendible and
contractable.
4. A connection tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the handle
further includes a stopper for selectively fixing the length of the
handle.
5. A connection tool as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stopper
comprises a threaded ring tightener.
6. A connection tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein a strap or
other connector depending from the carabiner fits in the connector
opening and, thus, does not interfere with the connection and
disconnection of the carabiner using the tool.
7. A connection tool as claimed in claim 6, wherein the connector
opening is contiguous with the support opening.
8. A method of loading a patient onto an overhead patient-carrying
device, the method comprising the steps of: connecting a carabiner
to the overhead patient carrying device using the connection tool
of claim 1; withdrawing said tool from said carabiner such that the
carabiner remains connected to the patient-carrying device;
attaching a patient to the carabiner.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of medical care for patients
that are bedridden or otherwise have difficulty moving on their
own. In particular, this invention relates to the field of
patient-carrying devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bedridden patients generally require highly focused and specialized
medical care. As such, patients are typically unable to move on
their own, and caring for them usually involves the use of
patient-carrying devices. A common type of patient-carrying device
is a portable system with a support frame that supports an overhead
rail with a trolley movably mounted thereto. The patient is placed
in a harness, in which the harness is connected to a loop or
eye-bolt depending from the trolley. The patient is lifted, and
then moved by the caregiver along the overhead track. In this way,
the patient can be moved from one location to another (e.g. from a
bed to a wheelchair, or from a wheelchair to the toilet).
Typically, the patient harness is coupled to a loop or eye-bolt
depending from the track. It is common for the overhead track to be
so high above the floor that the loop is not reachable by hand.
Therefore, typically, a reaching tool is used to connect the
harness with the loop. A typical reaching tool consists of a handle
fixedly attached to a hook from which the strap for the harness
depends. Once the hook is hooked onto the loop, the patient is
moved with the handle still attached to the hook.
This configuration presents a number of problems. First, the
elongate handle of the reaching tool remains attached to the
harness strap while the patient-carrying device is in use. This
presents safety concerns, because it is possible for the caregiver
to be struck by the handle as the trolley is moved. In addition,
the elongate handle can easily strike walls or furniture as the
trolley is moved, thus, causing damage and inconvenience.
In addition, the prior art hook that connects to the loop is
typically a fixed open hook. Such hooks are used because, since the
loop is typically out of reach, and the reaching tool must be used,
the hook can only be anchored to and unanchored from the loop if
the hook is an open hook. However, regulations in many
jurisdictions require that any hook or carabiner used in the
carrying of patients must form a closed shape, to ensure that the
hook does not slip off and cause the patient to fall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,955 ("Katsma") discloses a carabiner for use by
mountain climbers. The carabiner includes a body and a latch, as
well as a trigger. The trigger forces the latch to a closed
position in response to loading. Absent a load, there is a biasing
element that biases the latch to an open position when the latch is
at least three-quarters open, and otherwise biases the latch to a
closed position. Thus, the biasing element is bidirectional, urging
the latch in different directions depending on the latch's
position.
The trigger and biasing element are positioned at the top of the
carabiner and, thus, distal from the load (typically the climber or
his pack) positioned below the carabiner. The trigger is actuated
by the connector connecting the carabiner to the object above
it.
The carabiner of Katsma, however, does not solve the problems
described above. For example, the carabiner of Katsma, once closed,
must be pushed open by hand in order to overcome the biasing
element. However, as explained above, the loops to which patients
are typically attached often cannot be reached by hand. Also, the
trigger being distal from the load makes it difficult to unhook the
carabiner from the object above, because the connector is connected
through the trigger.
Other carabiners, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.
1,576,352 and 1,010,952, also do not solve the problems that arise
with patient carrying devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, what is required is a carabiner or similar attachment
device which can be efficiently connected to a patient-carrying
track at a point that may not be reachable by hand, and can also be
easily disconnected from the track conveniently. The carabiner
should meet the safety requirements associated with carabiners used
with patient-carrying devices. The invention also preferably
includes a connection tool for connecting the carabiner to the
patient-carrying device.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, there is
provided a carabiner for bearing a load and for anchoring the load
to an object, the carabiner comprising: a body having an internal
space, the body having an opening for admitting the object to the
internal space and for withdrawing the object from the internal
space, the body being sized, shaped, and positioned to bear the
load and to anchor to an object; a closure movably coupled to the
body, the closure being movable to an open position, and to a
closed position in which the opening is closed by the closure such
that the body and the closure define a closed shape; an actuator,
coupled to the closure and operatively connected to the body, the
actuator being configured to cause the closure to move to the
closed position in response to loading of the carabiner, mid to
cause the closure to move from the closed position to the open
position in response to unloading of the carabiner.
Preferably, the actuator includes a biasing element, coupled to the
closure, for urging the closure to said fully open position.
Preferably, the actuator further comprises a trigger coupled to the
closure and to the body, the trigger being sized, shaped, and
positioned to move the closure to the closed position in response
to loading of the carabiner. Preferably, the trigger and biasing
element are sized, shaped, and positioned to move the closure to
the closed position in response to loading of the carabiner by
overcoming the urging of the biasing element. Preferably, the
biasing element is operatively connected to the trigger, and the
trigger is operatively connected to the closure. Preferably, the
biasing element comprises one or more springs bearing on the body
and on the trigger. Preferably, the trigger is sized, shaped, and
positioned such that the trigger moves in response to the loading
of the carabiner, and said movement of the trigger causes the
closure to move to the closed position. Preferably, the closure is
rotatably mounted to the body. Preferably, the closure and actuator
are sized, shaped, and positioned so that the closure rotates in
response to an actuator movement. Preferably, the biasing element
is sized, shaped, and positioned to be unidirectional, whereby the
biasing element urges the closure toward the open position and not
toward the closed position. Preferably, the carabiner further
includes an axle mounted to the body, and wherein the closure is
rotatably mounted on the axle. Preferably, the springs and trigger
are sized, shaped, and positioned so that the springs are
compressed when the closure is in the closed position. Preferably,
the springs and trigger are sized, shaped, and positioned so that
the springs are compressed when the carabiner is bearing the load.
Preferably, the actuator is positioned on the carabiner proximal to
the load. Preferably, the carabiner includes a closure holder, the
closure and closure holder being sized, shaped, and mutually
positioned such that the closure holder releasably holds the
closure in the closed position. Preferably, the trigger includes a
connector receiver for receiving a connector for use in connecting
the carabiner to the patient. Preferably, the connector receiver
comprises a slot in said trigger. Preferably, the slot is
configured to receive a strap acting as the connector. Preferably,
the body includes a connector access for permitting access to the
connector receiver.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
connection tool for connecting to an object a carabiner that has an
internal space and a carabiner opening for admitting the object to
the internal space, the tool comprising: a support structure having
a support opening sized and shaped to permit the carabiner to be
received and supported by the support structure and withdrawn from
the support structure, the support structure being sized and shaped
to hold the carabiner while leaving the carabiner opening
unobstructed such that the object can be admitted to the internal
space through the carabiner opening; a handle connected to the
support structure, whereby the carabiner can be connected to or
disconnected from an object not reachable by hand using the
tool.
Preferably, the handle is length-adjustable. Preferably, the
length-adjustable handle is telescopically extendible and
contractable. Preferably, the handle further includes a stopper for
selectively fixing the length of the handle. Preferably, the
stopper comprises a threaded ring tightener. Preferably, the
support structure includes a connector opening therein for
receiving a connector depending from the carabiner, whereby a strap
or other connector depending from the carabiner fits in the
connector opening and, thus, does not interfere with the connection
and disconnection of the carabiner using the tool. Preferably, the
connector opening is contiguous with the insertion opening. In
another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of
loading a patient onto an overhead patient-carrying device, the
method comprising the steps of: connecting a carabiner to the
overhead patient carrying device using the connection tool;
withdrawing said tool from said carabiner such that the carabiner
remains connected to the patient-carrying device; attaching a
patient to the carabiner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be illustrated by way of example only, in
the attached drawings, which show the preferred embodiment of the
invention, and in which:
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a prior art attachment device for
use with a patient-carrying device;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carabiner according to the
present invention;
FIG. 3 is a second perspective view of the carabiner according to
the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the carabiner taken along line
4-4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is the same cross-sectional view of the carabiner as FIG. 4,
but shows the closure in the closed position;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the connection tool according to
the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a second perspective view of the connection tool
according to the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a close-up perspective view of a top portion of the
connection tool according to the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a close-up plan view of a portion of the connector tool's
handle;
FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of a support structure;
FIG. 11 is a cross-section view along line 11-11 of FIG. 10;
and
FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of the carabiner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIG. 1, a prior art configuration of a device for
carrying a patient across a floor 1 is shown. The patient-carrying
device shown in FIG. 1 includes a harness 2 for holding a patient
(not shown) as the patient is transported across the floor. The
harness 2 is connected to the eye-bolt 6 via the strap 3, which is
hooked onto the hook 5, which hook 5 is hooked to the eye-bolt 6.
The eye-bolt 6 is attached to a trolley (not shown) positioned
within the track 8. As the eye-bolt 6 is often not reachable by
hand because of its height, the handle or reaching arm 4, which is
fixed to the hook 5, is used to hook the hook 5 onto the eye-bolt
6. The reaching arm 4, being fixed to the hook 5, remains in place
while the patient-carrying device is used to move the patient from
one location to another.
The eye-bolt 6 is attached to the trolley which can move in either
of two directions along the overhead track 8. The track 8 is
supported in its raised position by a support frame (not
shown).
The hook 5 is an open hook, i.e. it does not define a closed shape.
This permits the hook 5 to be hooked and unhooked from the eye-bolt
6 using the reaching arm 4.
Referring now to FIGS. 2-5, a carabiner 10 for bearing a load, and
for anchoring the load to an object, is shown. The object
preferably takes the form of a loop 11, which connects the
carabiner 10 to a patient-carrying device (not shown). It will be
appreciated that the invention comprehends other types of objects
besides the loop 11. For example, the object may comprise an
eye-bolt 6. What is important is that the carabiner 10 can anchor
the load to the object. The carabiner 10 includes a body 12 which
is sized, shaped, and positioned to bear the load and anchor to an
object. The carabiner 10 further includes a trigger 14 having a
connector receiver in the form of a slot 16, formed in the trigger
14, for receiving a connector in the form of the strap 17 shown in
the dotted outline in FIG. 3. It will be appreciated that the strap
17 functions to connect a patient harness (not shown) to the
carabiner 10.
The trigger 14 is movably coupled to the body 12, as well as to the
closure 20, which closure, in the preferred embodiment, takes the
form of an elongate element rotatably mounted to the body 12 by
means of the axle 21. The axle 21 is mounted to and extends through
both the body 12 and the closure 20 so that the closure 20 is
rotatably mounted to the axle 21 and to the body 12. The closure 20
is sized, shaped, and positioned to leave open the opening 18 in
the body 12 when in its open position, and to close the opening 18
when in the closed position. The opening 18 functions to admit an
object into the internal space 19 of the carabiner 10, and in
particular, of the body 12. It will be appreciated that, in its
preferred use, the carabiner 10 anchors to an object, such as a
strap loop 11 depending from a trolley mounted to the overhead rail
of a portable patient-carrying device. It will be appreciated,
however, that the carabiner 10 may be used with other types of
patient-carrying devices, or with other types of loads besides
patients, and still be comprehended by the invention.
This anchoring preferably takes place by the loop 11 being admitted
through the opening 18 into the internal space 19. In turn, the
patient harness is connected to the carabiner 10 by means of the
strap 17 received within the slot 16. The slot 16 and the trigger
14 are sized, shaped, and positioned to line the slot 16 up with
the connector access 15 formed within the body 12. It will be
appreciated that the connector access 15 provides access for the
connector that connects the carabiner 10 and the patient harness.
In the preferred embodiment, this connector comprises the strap 17,
but it will be appreciated that the invention comprehends other
types of connectors, connector receivers, and connector accesses
which take forms other than the preferred forms herein
described.
The closure 20 most preferably further includes a latch 22 sized,
shaped, and positioned so that when the closure 20 moves to the
closed position, the latch 22 is releasably held within the closure
holder, which takes the form of a notch 24 in the body 12. The
notch 24 is most preferably positioned adjacent to the opening 18.
The latch 22 most preferably takes the form of an elongate member
extending across the width of the closure 20 that is sized, shaped,
and positioned to be releasably gripped by the notch 24 in the
closed position. It will be appreciated that the invention
comprehends configurations for the closure 20 without the latch 22,
and configurations of the carabiner 10 that do not include the
preferred notch 24 for gripping the latch. What is important is
that the closure 20 be movable to a closed position, and,
preferably, that the carabiner 10 includes a closure holder that is
sized, shaped, and mutually positioned with the closure such that
the closure holder releasably holds the closure 20 in the closed
position.
The trigger 14 is preferably positioned within the body 12 and
coupled thereto, so that the slot 16 lines up with the access 15.
As can be seen most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5, the trigger 14 is
mounted within the body 12 and is coupled to a biasing element that
preferably takes the form of one or more springs 26, and most
preferably two springs 26, operatively connected to the trigger 14.
The springs 26 preferably comprise coil springs coiled around
spring support shafts 28, the springs 26 being operatively
connected to the body 12. Preferably, the springs 26 bear against
the body 12 to bear against and exert a force on the trigger
14.
The trigger 14 is operatively connected to the closure 20,
preferably by means of the trigger teeth 30 of the trigger 14 mated
with closure teeth 32 of the closure 20. Thus, as the trigger 14
moves, the trigger teeth 30 bear on the closure teeth 32, thus,
moving the closure 20, by rotating it about the axle 21. In the
preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-5, the springs 26, the
trigger 14, and the closure 20 are sized, shaped, and positioned so
that the closure 20 is biased to an open position. Thus, the
springs 26 are coupled to the body 12, preferably indirectly via
the trigger 14. Then, as the trigger 14 is moved so as to compress
the springs 26, the closure 20 is rotated to the closed
position.
It will be appreciated that the invention comprehends other ways of
coupling of the trigger 14 to the closure 20 besides the preferred
teeth described above. For example, the coupling could be
accomplished by a rivet coupling the trigger 14 and the closure 20.
The invention also comprehends a configuration wherein the trigger
14 causes the movement of the closure 20 without movement of the
trigger 14 itself.
It will also be appreciated that the trigger 14 and biasing element
need not take the preferred form described herein. Other forms are
comprehended by the invention. For example, the trigger 14 can be
formed with the closure 20 in a single piece. The biasing element
may take the form of one or more springs, which may be integral
with the trigger 14 or the closure 20. Alternatively, the biasing
element could take more complex forms, such as, for example, an
electronic sensor that causes a pneumatic system to hold the
closure 20 open unless a load is sensed, in which case, the closure
20 is caused to close. It will be appreciated that such a biasing
element configuration is not preferred, because it is more
expensive and complex than the preferred form described herein.
What is important is that the closure closes in response to
carabiner load and opens in response to carabiner unloading.
In operation, the strap 17 is threaded through the slot 16 and
emerges on both sides of the body 12 from the connector access 15.
When the patient is connected to the strap 17, or the carabiner 10
is otherwise loaded, the strap 17 forces the trigger 14 to move
(preferably downward), so as to compress the springs 26. As the
trigger 14 moves, the trigger teeth 30 act on the closure teeth 32
to cause the closure 20 to rotate to the closed position. Thus, the
closure 20 is moved to the closed position in response to loading
of the carabiner 10. The springs 26 are compressed when the closure
20 is in the closed position and the carabiner 10 is loaded. When
the carabiner 10 is unloaded, the springs 26 expand because the
load is no longer forcing them to compress. The trigger 14 moves
(preferably upward) because of the force of the springs 26, and by
means of the teeth 30, 32, the closure 20 is rotated to the open
position. Thus, in response to the unloading of the carabiner 10,
the closure 20 is moved from the closed position to the open
position. The springs 26 function to bias the closure 20 to the
open position.
It will be appreciated that the trigger 14 and biasing element
(preferably in the form of springs 26) function together as an
actuator configured to cause the closure 20 to move to the closed
position in response to the loading of the carabiner 10, and to
cause the closure 20 to move from the open position to the closed
position in response to the carabiner 10 being unloaded. The
actuator, therefore, preferably comprises a biasing element,
preferably coupled to the closure 20 and to the body 12, for urging
the closure 20 to the fully open position, and a trigger 14,
preferably coupled to the closure 20 and to the body 12, which
trigger 14 is preferably sized, shaped, and positioned to move the
closure 20 to the closed position in response to loading of the
carabiner 10.
It will be appreciated that the "closed position" is the position
of the closure 20 in which the object (preferably the loop
depending from the trolley) cannot be withdrawn via the opening 18
from the internal space 19 of the body 12. The "open position"
comprises the range of positions of the closure 20, which permit
the object (preferably the loop) to be withdrawn via the opening 18
from the internal space 19 of the body 12.
It will also be appreciated that the biasing element is preferably
configured to be unidirectional, i.e. it biases the closure 20 in
the direction of the open position, and not in the direction of the
closed position. This configuration is to be contrasted with
bidirectional biasing elements, including those that bias the
closure 20 to an open position when the closure 20 is in some
positions within its range of motion, and to a closed position when
the closure 20 is at other positions. Thus, in the preferred
embodiment, the unidirectional biasing element urges the closure 20
to the open position, including when the closure 20 is in the
closed position.
Preferably, the actuator is positioned proximal to, rather than
distal from, the load. Thus, in the case of the carabiner 10 used
to anchor a patient to a patient-carrying device, the load is
positioned below the carabiner 10. The actuator is preferably
positioned at the bottom of the body 12 rather than the top, i.e.,
proximal to the load, rather than distal, from it.
It will be appreciated that the actuator need not take the
preferred form of the trigger 14 and biasing element. The invention
comprehends other forms for the actuator. For example, the actuator
could comprise an electromechanical device that closes the closure
20 in the response to a load and opens it in response to
unloading.
Referring now to FIGS. 6-12, a preferred form of the connector tool
33 is shown. The connector tool 33 includes a support structure 34
having an insertion opening 35 sized and shaped to permit the
insertion and withdrawal from the support structure 34 of a
carabiner 10 that has an internal space 19, as well as a carabiner
opening 18 for admitting to the internal space an object to be
connected to the carabiner 10. The support structure 34 is also
sized and shaped to hold the carabiner 10 within the support
structure 34 after insertion while leaving the carabiner opening 18
unobstructed, so that the object (not shown) can be admitted to the
internal space. The preferred support structure 34 is sized and
shaped to receive and support the preferred carabiner 10, though
the invention comprehends that the support structure 34 can be
sized and shaped for use with any carabiner that can be anchored to
an object.
The preferred support structure 34 includes two support walls 36,
38, and a support floor 39, which support a carabiner 10 inserted
therein from the rear (i.e. against the portion of the body 12
opposite the opening), as well as from underneath and from the
sides of the bottom half of the carabiner 10. However, it will be
appreciated that the support structure 34 is sized and shaped so
that when the carabiner 10 is contained within the support
structure 34, the carabiner opening 18 is accessible so as to
permit an object to be hooked or anchored into the carabiner 10 via
the carabiner opening 18.
The connector tool 33 further preferably includes a telescopically
extendible handle comprising two handle portions 42, 46. In the
preferred embodiment, the portion 46 fits telescopically within the
portion 42. The handle is, thus, extendible by partially extracting
portion 46 from portion 42, and contractable by inserting portion
46 further into portion 42.
The connector tool 33 further preferably includes a stopper in the
form of a threaded tightening ring 44 for releasably fixing the
length of the handle. In the preferred embodiment, the threaded
ring 44 is mounted to a compressible threaded end portion 45 of the
portion 42. The portion 42 has threading 43. When the ring 44 is
tightened, the end portion 45 compresses against the portion 46, so
that the portions 46 and 42 are held stationary relative to one
another, and the length of the handle is fixed until the ring 44 is
loosened. The ring, thus, stops the portions 42, 46 from moving
relative to one another.
It will be appreciated that, though preferred, the invention
comprehends handles that are not length adjustable.
The connector tool 33 further preferably includes a connector
opening 48 therein for receiving a connector depending from the
carabiner 10. Preferably, the connector is a strap 17 for
connecting the carabiner 10 to a patient harness. Thus, the
connector opening 48 preferably takes the form of a slit between
the walls 36, 38, and through the floor 39, the slit being sized
and shaped to receive a strap 17.
The connector opening 48 functions to receive the connector that
connects the carabiner 10 to the patient harness. It will be
appreciated that the connector, if not received within the opening
48, could interfere with the carabiner 10 being properly supported
within the support structure 34. For example, in the case where the
connector takes the form of a strap 17, if the preferred carabiner
10 were inserted into the support structure 34, the strap 17 would
bunch up within the support structure, thus interfering with the
insertion and support of the carabiner 10 within the support
structure 34. However, the connector opening 48 permits the strap
17 to be received within the opening 48 so that the strap 17 does
not bunch within the support structure 34.
Most preferably, the opening 48 is contiguous with the opening 35.
It will be appreciated that this permits efficient use of the
connector tool 33 to unhook the carabiner 10 from the loop 11
depending from trolley of the patient-carrying device.
Specifically, after the patient has been removed from the harness,
the strap 17 depending from the carabiner 10 will be hanging
loosely downward. To unhook the carabiner 10 from the loop 11, a
user can take the tool 33 and slide the strap 17 into the opening
48. Then using the strap 17 as a guide, the user can move the tool
33 upward until the carabiner 10 enters the support structure 34
through the opening 35. Because the strap 17 was received through
the slit 48, the strap does not interfere with the carabiner 10
entering the support structure 34 through the opening 35 and being
supported within the support structure 34. The tool 33 is then
moved slightly higher still, and then moved sideways, to unhook the
carabiner 10 from the loop 11 by having the loop 11 exit the
opening 18 of the carabiner 10. The tool 33 can then be withdrawn
so that the user can remove the carabiner 10 from the support
structure 34 (e.g. by hand).
It will be appreciated that the support structure 34 can have a
different configuration than the preferred configuration described
above, while still being comprehended by the invention. For
example, the structure 34 could comprise a magnet that attracts a
magnet on the underside of the carabiner 10. The support opening 35
would, in this case, comprise the open space adjacent the magnet
that permits access by the carabiner magnet. What is important is
that the support structure 34 be configured to hold the carabiner
10 while leaving the carabiner opening 18 unobstructed.
Although not required, the tool 33 preferably includes a
supplementary holder. Most preferably, the holder takes the form of
two grippers 50, one flexibly mounted to each wall 36, 38. The
grippers 50 each preferably comprise an arm 52 flexibly attached to
the wall 36, 38 with a protrusion 54 depending from the arm.
Preferably, the carabiner 10 includes two cavities 56 positioned
one on each side of the carabiner 10 so as to line up with the
protrusions 54 on each wall 36, 38 when the carabiner 10 is
inserted fully into the structure 34. As the carabiner 10 is
inserted into the structure 34, the protrusions 54 contact the
carabiner 10 and the arms are flexed outward away from the
carabiner 10. When insertion is completed, the protrusions 54 line
up with the cavities 56 and the arms flex back toward the carabiner
10 with the protrusions 54 entering the cavities 56 so as to
removably hold the carabiner 10 in the structure 34. The
protrusions 54 and cavities 56 are sized, shaped, and positioned so
that when force is applied by the human arm to remove the carabiner
10 from the structure 34, the protrusions pop out of the cavities
and the carabiner 10 is removed.
It will be appreciated that the invention comprehends other types
of supplementary holders. For example, the supplementary holder
could comprise a magnet inside the structure 34 that is attracted
to a magnet on the carabiner 10. What is important is that the
supplementary holder function to hold the carabiner 10 more firmly
(yet still removably) within the carabiner 10.
While the foregoing embodiments of the present invention have been
set forth in considerable detail, it will be apparent to those
skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the
invention without departing from the scope of the attached claims.
Some of these variations are discussed above and others will be
apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the body 12 of
the carabiner 10, as well as the actuator, may take forms different
from the preferred forms described above, and still be comprehended
by the invention. What is important is that the closure 20 be
closed in response to loading of the carabiner 10, and opened in
response to unloading of the carabiner 10.
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